“That’s all you’re getting.”
As he hesitated, looking like he might want to taste the droplets, Alicia waded in. A boot to the left knee, a punch to the ribs. Another strike of a leg and Labadee was twisting away, evading her blows but unable to bring the knife to bear. Alicia pressed it, but couldn’t turn her back on Jensen and his other men. Labadee pulled away.
Then Russo landed beside her, boots splintering timbers. A merc leapt at the big man, tripped over a jutting spar and went sprawling. Alicia wrestled a log free and hurled it at Labadee. The man didn’t move, allowing it to strike his face and then licking his lips with a grin.
Alicia wasn’t impressed. “Stay right there. I can probably fit the next one in yer gob.”
Labadee opened his mouth.
Alicia ripped a chunk of timber free and sprang at the man. He was ready, striking out with the flat of the blade and then the tip. Alicia caught it deftly with the wood and then twisted, tearing it right out of his hands and trying to break his wrist in the process. Labadee let go quickly, backing up. Alicia sidestepped, but then Russo lunged too and splintered a little more of the ship. A man fell through a gap ahead, crying out with shock as he vanished into the bowels. Another man stepped onto a rotten spar and saw the bottom half of his body plummet until he wedged against his belt, left dangling and unable to wrench himself free. Jensen headed for the stern of the ship.
Alicia trod more carefully. The entire ship was groaning now, and she sensed it beginning to shift. Crouch was trying to skirt the vessel by using the rocks along the side, but the process was dangerous and slow. Healey looked like he didn’t know where to put his feet. A merc turned to take a potshot at the lad, but Caitlyn took him out.
“Keep moving!” Alicia shouted.
The ship’s prow buckled and fell with a deep grinding sound and a great splash of water. Timbers collapsed upon each other and several planks heaved themselves upward like spears. Alicia saw the crack tearing its way down the length of the galleon.
“Oh fu—”
She sidestepped, leapt away from the tear. Several mercs saw it coming and, to their credit, only one stayed there staring in confusion. He didn’t hang around for long, plummeting the moment the running crack passed him by. The ship split apart, spars grating and groaning in resistance and in protest. Alicia felt herself overbalancing, but managed to compensate. Russo was not so nimble, nor so lucky. As the lower portion rolled so did the big solider, slipping, scraping and splashing into the deeper water.
Alicia made sure he was okay before letting a riposte come to mind, but by then Labadee was back in her face, and he’d brought a friend.
“Forrester,” the man said. The second of Jensen’s lieutenants.
“I don’t give a shit,” she said. “You assholes come any closer, you’ll find out what it’s like to get keelhauled.”
They hesitated. Alicia caught a glimpse of Jensen leaping into the water and swimming hard for the small cave exit. Several mercs were at his side. The rest were pretty thinned out. Crouch struggled with a man close to the water’s edge and Russo was busy swimming for a rocky shore. Healey waited at Alicia’s side.
Labadee then saw the red dot hovering around his chest.
Most men’s reaction would be to turn and dive, but the Jamaican only stopped and searched out the source of the dot. He found Caitlyn hidden among the rocks and gave a crooked grin.
“You people, you’re cleverer than you look.”
Alicia coughed. “And you’re not only stupider, but uglier too.”
Labadee frowned a little at that before holding out both palms and backing up. Forrester went with him, the man’s blond curls tightly wrapped to his bronzed skull.
They jumped into the water just as Russo climbed out. Alicia gave the surprised soldier a shake of the head.
“I’ve seen faster seahorses, Rob. Really I have.”
“I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”
Healey helped him out. “Alicia said it.”
“Ah, then fuck you too, bitch.”
Crouch was waving wildly at them. “What are you all waiting for? We have them on the run! Let’s bloody well end this.”
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Beneath the calm waves there lay a quiet, confused world of drifting bodies, shattered timbers and more than one glinting bauble. Visibility was average though and allowed Alicia to pinpoint the exit as she swam closer. There was the brief kicking of heels ahead, underwater splashes, and then the last of the escaping mercs was gone. She struck out faster, hating the below-sea-level environment, but more concerned about her safety than her wishes at that point. The rest of the team were close by, bruised but still ready to fight.
The exit was little more than a narrow cave entrance, barely wide enough to accommodate the small galleon that Alicia assumed must have been sailed in during one of the few times a year it was accessible. Moss hung across the entrance and slithered across her skin as she swam by. Her lungs burned steadily, needing to breathe. Once through she arrowed up toward the surface, embracing the light that brightened with every kick of her legs. Crouch got there first and then Healey, but finally Alicia breached the surface.
Letting the water drip from her face, clearing her eyes, she quickly evaluated the ever-shifting horizon. Jensen’s white seaplane was anchored offshore, just as they’d spotted it from the air. Many pairs or arms swam toward it now, cutting hard through the clear, blue waters. The sun beat down relentlessly, already starting to dry the droplets on her skin. Alicia took a deep, sweet breath.
Russo started a strong crawl in pursuit of the men. By chance the plane lay close to a rock promontory and it appeared most of the mercs were making for dry land first rather than the plane. Maybe they had stashed gear there, or had taken boats from the main island since there were surely too many bodies for the plane alone.
That said, it wouldn’t surprise Alicia if Jensen hadn’t strapped a few to pontoons, wing struts and any other surface he could think of.
The Gold crew struck out for the rocks, staying low but keeping their weapons as much out of the water as possible. Sometimes they had to be submerged and should still work fine, but there was no reason to tempt fate. Russo aimed for a point behind the mercs as they scrambled out of the water, finding it hard to gain purchase on the saturated rocks, some falling back and others cracking their heads and bruising bones.
Alicia gathered her breath. “Steady on, Robster. Looking at those guys, you’re about to experience a calamity.”
“Once.” Russo shook his head. “I misjudged once.”
“And you’ll pay for it forever,” Healey said.
“One more comment and I’ll have your ass, Myles.”
“Ooh, promises, promises. Just name the place and position.”
Russo choked on seawater, head momentarily going under. Crouch hit the rocks first, found purchase, and pulled himself up. Healey helped Caitlyn and then Russo approached the jagged pile.
Alicia swam at his back, waiting.
“Wanna hand? A well-placed finger will have you squealing to the top of that pile in half a second.”
“Just stay away.”
The soldier heaved himself out and then Jensen’s men spotted them. Guns were drawn and shots fired. Crouch and the others took cover behind the rocks and started to creep forward. Alicia trod water for a while, watching the scene with frustration.
Why the hell didn’t I just jump out? Now I’m stuck her whilst the guys face a firefight. You’re such an idiot, Myles.
It all reminded her that she was in the crux of a big change, but some things were destined to remain exactly the same.